….We Seek After These Things!

By Tanya

For the past week or so I have been pondering the question of Grace and Works. Not that I doubt how I feel about the two subjects but how do I explain to someone the importance of both.
The Grace of God, and the Saviour are undoubtably the most important and most significant things in our life, without them we are nothing and would be nothing. Without them the resurrection would not be possible and we would live eternity in a spiritual and physical death. There is nothing we have done our could do to avoid the effects of the ressurection. It is given to all that live and die in this estate we call mortal life.
So the question for me is how do works apply and why are they important. If the Saviour has done all for us, why must we do good works? I have been searching for the best way to explain it and frankly I haven’t come up with any good analogy. All I know is that by accepting the sacrifice of the Saviour and the result of His overcoming death I must be willing to do what he asks of me. I know I can not save myself, that is impossible to do, but I can serve him and honor his name by the things I do. I have to repent frequently and often to be receptive to his spirit. I need to help do the good works that need to be done around me. I have to learn to be like him and to do that requires faith of works. I happen to believe that he has the right to ask us to covenant and follow those covenants, and I don’t think that ultimately they are difficult to do. Moses held the staff of the serpent for the house of Israel to look at to save themselves from death. There were many that did not do this simple thing because they did not believe. It was an act ofFaith, and and act of Hope in doing this one simple thing. Likewise it is a simple thing to enter the waters of baptism and covenant to take his name upon us to do the work he asks us to do. I believe it is a simple thing to live a life worthy to attend the temple and do the work for and covenant further to obey Gods commands. It is a simple thing to pay tithing and expect the blessings in return that are promised by doing so. It is a simple thing to strive to have love in my heart. There are so many simple things in this life from reading scriptures, to saying prayers, to serving in callings that I am asked to do. The question is do I do those simple things? Doing good works shows our faith and belief that Christ meant what he said, and means what he says when he says “Come Follow Me”, and when he said to Peter “If you love me, feed my sheep.” He wants us to do the things that he would do and I believe as our Saviour he has the right to ask it of us. In doing those things we can show our gratitude for what he has done for us. Do the works ulitmately save us? No, that is the Grace of God, but I think that Works is what helps us become more Like him so that when we die and pass from this mortal life we may hear those words, “Well done Thou Good and Faithful Servant.” What higher praise could we give him, not just the songs of the heart, but the music of the soul that we compose with the daily deeds that we do, just because we Love Him.